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Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Thanet Council's Historic Fairground Rides Vandalism.

Vintage fairground rides, destined for the Margate Dreamland Amusement Park,  which were purchased using  government grants, have been “left to rot” at  Ramsgate Port says former Green Party councillor Ian Driver.

The rides including  a Corbiere Wheel;   a Junior Whip;  and an American Whip have been stored outside, without cover or protection,  for  a year and have become badly damaged by continual exposure to the elements.

Said Driver “these rides are of great historic importance, some of them are over 70 years old and are amongst a  tiny handful of surviving examples.  The Heritage Lottery Fund  allocated £1.235 million to restore  these, and other rides,  to their former glory for the public to use and enjoy at  Dreamland. But sadly they have been dumped at the port of
Ramsgate forgotten about and allowed to rot and deteriorate. It’s probably too late to restore them now as they have become so badly damaged. This is an insensitive act of historic vandalism by Thanet Council and the latest in a series incompetent blunders  by senior TDC officers responsible for managing the Dreamland project".
Its is understood that in order to make space for the car importation contract at Ramsgate Port, the rides will shortly be moved to another Thanet location where, once again, these valuable  historical rides will be left outside unprotected from the elements. Thankfully I was able to take a few photographs of the rides and their sorry state.
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15 comments:

  1. Anonymous3 February 2016 at 10:15

    Disgraceful, as you say. But I think you are gunning for the wrong target in blaming it all on the council. It is time to call to account those responsible for this enormously expensive project, which appears to have been hopelessly mismanaged.

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  2. Anonymous3 February 2016 at 11:05

    UKIP inaction (sic)

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  3. Anonymous3 February 2016 at 12:46

    As someone who was involved in the early procurement of these historic rides, it is woeful that they have been abandoned to their sad fate and to the elements. That they were purchased with public money is pernicious enough; that the heritage and historic aspect of the 're-awsomed' Dreamland seems to have been totally side-stepped by the incompetence of those self-seeking individuals at its helm is inexcusable.

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  4. Anonymous3 February 2016 at 20:17

    These may have nothing to do with TDC. These rides were almost certainly purchased by the Dreamland Trust and remain the responsibility of the trust

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    Replies
    1. Ian Driver4 February 2016 at 07:45

      but nevertheless should have been stored safely by TDC yet sadly were not. So TDC does have a responsibility here.

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    2. Anonymous4 February 2016 at 14:39

      You should take a look at that hotel East Kent College has built in Broadstairs that has taken £10,000,000 yes 10 million quid of public money to build 4 million more than Dreamland and still has not opened. At least Dreamland is proving jobs and taking money.

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  5. Anonymous4 February 2016 at 11:30

    They have nothing to do with TDC. They were purchased or donated to the Dreamland Trust and remain the property of the Dreamland Trust a company that is still trading. One would need to contact the Dreamland Trust as to why they have abandoned those rides. TDC was probably not even aware they were there and in any case cannot just seize the assets of a company

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  6. Anonymous4 February 2016 at 17:11

    Won't be long before there will be a whole park load of rides left to rot!

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  7. Anonymous4 February 2016 at 17:59

    The junior whip had already been removed by the time of this article and has gone away to be fully restored.
    Owned by the Trust and being restored on their behalf.

    Don't you ever get bored of trying to put down the efforts of good people? Why are you constantly trying to tarnish the reputation of Dreamland? If you care about the area as much as you say you do then just shut up please

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    Replies
    1. Ian Driver5 February 2016 at 07:36

      This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    2. Ian Driver5 February 2016 at 07:42

      This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. Ian Driver5 February 2016 at 07:43

      agree with you 100%. Had the Dreamland project been managed properly then I would have had nothing critical say about it and would have been heaping praise on it. Sadly the project has been managed appalling badly and I will not stand by silently as large amounts of public money is wasted by those who should be doing better. As I have said many times before I agree with the Dreamland the idea but it is being implemented by incompetents who are brining it to its knees

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    4. Anonymous5 February 2016 at 09:10

      Dreamland is doing a pretty good job tarnishing its own reputation. Take a look at these photos on its promotional site and tell me how many actually show Dreamland!

      http://www.dreamland.co.uk/events/private-hire

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  8. Anonymous5 February 2016 at 14:42

    So what! What can You do about it A.

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  9. Anonymous7 February 2016 at 20:14

    17:59 are we supposed to be quiet over such waste. Tdc and Dreamland are useless....who has been sacked

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